Fiesta dishes are some of my favorite keepsakes from my mom. I have many others, but overtime they tend to lose their style and sometimes even their shape. But, my fiesta dishes are one of my prized possessions. These dishes filled my childhood home for as long as I can remember. This was passed on from my mom's childhood in a turnabout kinda way. You see, my mom ate on Fiesta dishes (always in a rainbow of colors) and she despised it. She vowed when she had her own home that she would have matching dishes. And she did and she liked it until a few years after her parents had passed away (both of my grandparents were gone prior to my birth). After her parents passed away, she gave these dishes to family members never to see them again.
In the middle 80s (my father passed away in 1984 - I will post on this someday) my mom aunts cousins and I loved to go to antique shops and look for treasures probably to help pass lonely times. Low and behold Fiesta dishes once again caught my mom's eyes. Her passion (and mine) for Fiesta were born then and our quest to find it began! We searched high and low at shops, yard sales, estate sales. I must say we were quite successful and at a very low price because Fiesta's popularity had not hit again yet. It decorated and filled my Mom's hutch and along with tins our Hoosier Cabinet.
In the late 80s-early 90s Homer-Laughlin began to make replication Fiesta and it is now available at many retail outlets. I have a lot of NEW Fiesta and attempt to purchase a place setting in each new color. Since there are 2-3 a year - my collection is quite large (hee,hee). I love the New Fiesta and this is what we eat on. But I fully treasure my Old Fiesta, it is a strong connection to my mom.
My sister-in-law Christine also loves Fiesta and has her kitchen decorated with these bright colors. Our cabinets are brimming, but it is difficult to pass up a piece of a new color. When she married my brother, she already had the passion and registered for Black Fiesta - sooooo pretty. And my brother Will caught the passion when he and his wife bought their dog a Fiesta food bowl!
On a trip out east, my inlaws stopped in Newell, WV and I was able to shop at the factory outlet - big breath - my heart beats fast thinking about it. It was awesome. Since I am not a perfectionist - turning that small flaw in the dish to the back to get it for 1.99 - well worth it to me! I carried out 2 crates of stuff!! And most recently, my spark for this post, my favorite store in Pigeon Forge,TN is closing. We scoped it out early on in our many trips to the Smokies and returned everytime. The clerk recognized me this trip and told me they are being sold. So here's the the Rebel Dish Barn - you will be missed!
My mom passed away almost 11 years ago and I miss her with an ache in my heart that cannot be described. Her memory is ever bright today on her birthday. I am glad that some friends are coming over for a pool party, so I will celebrate in style. I do wish however that I could have said, no, can't today is my mom's birthday, and I am going to celebrate with her....
